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2010-11-28 Fall of a Titan
The Past - Wreckage of a Zentradi Ship. Azgad observes the overseeing of a salvaging operation. Not that the ship was that use of them, but Azgad could use it eventually to get behind enemies lines with a few alterations. With Balmarian tech inside of it, it would be a formitable thing. Bugs move throughout the ship, getting ready to transport it away from the wreckage field... Earlier - White Star Azgad finishes his report, and his plan of operation. The plan was simple, cause more infighting between the samples to detract from their battle operations against them. The easiest way to do this was an atrocity or two to get the hot bloods going. Azgad also would get a chance to strike back at his enemies...the most hated of all foes. Now - Above Monument City A Thuverl-Salan comes out of folding over Monument city, the peace of the Zentradi city broken by the sudden and dangerously close unfolding. Units start deploying, Guarlions and Lions for the most part, as the large ship itself actually starts firing on the unprepared city below. Anti-personel weapons deploy, landing on the ground and explode, raining death on both sized green skined aliens and humans alike. Ships are scrambled, but the sudden viciousness and surprise of the attack has forces reeling, especially with all of the anti-Balmarian activity. BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEF_eiy7-M4&feature=related DEEP WITHIN THE SECRET EFA AMERICAN BASE A man of long luxurious hair and hard eyes makes his way through the armor, walking over a gang plank with slow and precise steps. His eyes gleam in the light, his pilot suit showing off the EFA badge. He steps up to a mechanic standing at the end of a platform and brushes back his hair. "Is it finally ready?" The mechanic nods his head, turning it slowly to the jet black Gundam behind them on the platform, high above the maintenance areas. "It took several years, but it is finally ready. Are you sure you can pilot it?" The long haired man laughs a rich dark laugh, then slides his mouth into a grin. "Of course I can. No one else but me can pilot it." He turns his head up slowly towards the unit. "The Mark X Mamba Gundam! Or my name isn't-" The Mamba Gundam Mark X explodes as two thick grey slabs that serve as feet for a robot lands on its head. "OUT OF MY WAY!" The mechanic and the now forever unnamed Gundam Pilot are knocked aside off the platform and into the pit as Boss and his two henchmen barrel through to launch. "These deployments will get costly...," June grouses as she secures herself to her station, sliding her linkages into their appropriate ports. Including the optical, which with a soft whirr drills itself into her ocular socket. "Costly in money, June, money isn't our concern," Solis mutters. Castilla closes her eyes beneath her mask, letting her mind flow through the sensorium data being fed through the Hostis' connection with the satellite systems... "We have a massive defold in Alaska.. DC identification, attacking what appears to be a principally civilian area.." June frowns, "Its Zentraedi, it's a xenos colony, technically isn't it?" Solis leans back in the amniotic, feeling the equal confusion from the Hostis Xeno Generis.. A weapon made for destroying the inhuman. The Zentraedi are technically inhuman it reasons. Destroy them. Destroy the enemies. Destroy it all. Solis frowns and raises his eyes, "It is a civilian settlement. We defend those, June. I don't care what color or what planet those civilians happened to have come from." June nods, confusion hidden by her mask, "Yes, my Rex..." Solis rolls his head on his shoulders, releasing a few quiet cracks, "Castilla. Disengage the docking assembly, and begin the prayer and ritual of re-entry. June route Castilla's findings through the targeting daemons and assure that they do not errantly target friendly targets." The Hostis, safe within its pod breaks from its re-entry vector and falls into the atmos... A blazing meteor is seen tearing through the sky above the errant trojan horse of the balmarians. Castilla almost sings the words, "Praise to the re-entry seals. Glory to you oh velocity retardant systems, which assure that we do not topple when we fall..." *** Somewhere, In the Wilderness *** A close up of someone's mouth, blowing cool air onto a steaming hot bowl of soup. The camera pulls back to reveal Erika Keese sitting in front of a camp fire next to her camoflagued ReFined Gouf, carefully sipping her still hot food. She was out on a scouting mission for various reasons, mostly to determine portential targets that the Balmarians might hit. After all, it's not like the Earth Federation is making a list of 'Places We Don't Want You To Shoot' public knowledge. Oh, and maybe to keep an eye on the Feddies too. Yeah. Kinda important that is. Of course, fate being what it is, it's right about that time that the unknown ship folds in off on the horizon and starts blasting Monument City, "What the..." Erika takes a moment to pour her soup back into it's pot, place the lid over top of it, then stamp out the fire (Smokey the Bear would be mad at her if she didn't) before she scrambles up into her RF Gouf and starts it up, "I'm detecting Crusader IFFs, but i wasn't aware that there was an operation in progress. Better get confirmation..." She clicks on her comlink and sets up a coded transmission. "DC Command, this is Erika Keese. Please confirm, is there an operation in progress over Monument City?" It doesn't take long for EFA alarms to sounds in Monument City, even as they're being bombarded. It doesn't take more than a couple of minutes before a unassuming blue valkyrie does a fly-by of the city. Inside of the cockpit however, is the mostly unassuming pilot named Max Jenius. "Hmm...unless the DC is starting to make their own ships out of Balmarian tech, I don't think the IFF signature is right." Way to state the obvious. Max however, switches his Valkyrie to Soldier mode and opens fire upon some of the balmarian ships....if only to divert their attention... Nenai Illan called Monument home as much as anywhere it was a mostly Meltrandi and Zentradi city. There were some humans sure but they out numbered their cousins here and kept up decent relations with the americans. She'd called it home and had been here on some down time. But then something happens, she's outside her home talking to two of her wingmen from her old squad. They seem to be going on about who can take down the most balmarians before this is over. Then there's a meltrandi ship coming in? Wait what the hell. She swears in Meltrandi and she's scrambling for something under a tarp, the other two meltrandi also run off likely going for something. She pulls the massive tarp off her Glaug, it was her pride and joy. The machines were rare, and even good by human standards. The massive hatch snap hisses open, she leaps in not even bothering to change out of causal clothing to get in a proper flight suit. The machine's thrusters then kick to life as it now starts to get some air time. Young Ms. Keese is not alone, lone troops were just begging to be Balmarianized after all it seemed. No, a young, blonde man crouched down over the camp fire, a ladle stirring the contents. "Well... It's not hamburgers, but it isn't bad, right?" Bernard Wiseman pipes up as he pulls away from the soup pot, his butt resting on the balls of his heels as he dry washes his hands on a apron... that really isn't part of any DC or Zeonic scouting kit. He does not hear the expected praise he was looking for, instead only a half spoken exclimation. His eyes looked to her's only to find them slung to the horizon. He followed suit and quickly caught sight of the source of her unfinished sentiment. "A Zentraedi... But those are.." When he looked back, Erika was already boarding her unit after a quick tidying of the camp. Bernie's lips drew into a tight line, she suspected something it seemed. Soon enough he was sealed in the breast of his familier unit, closed up and embraced by the lights of the Zaku's internal monitors as they flickered to life. "False flag tactics?!" wondered Bernie over suit-to-suit comms as the Zaku II Kai powered into the air with a kick from it's various apogee motors and primary engines. A trail of blue light followed the Zaku as it raced towards the city and it's attackers. The suit opened up with a initial barrage of fire, the machine gun rattling off it's introductions! The joined city of Monument City also had an event going in it's communal center. Strangers from the Inner Sphere has set up shop there, many of themselves Zentraedi and Meltrandis, to spread the word of a grand new philosophy -- and book to sell! -- in there, taking place in an actual fare of sort. Unfortunately for Ted Morrison, he is the center of this brand new outing in self-help, philosophy and way of living. He must have been drunk to agree to come to there, sitting in the booth, accepting autographs(from all the original immigrants from Erewhon) and some other curious about what his book that his 'followers' has wrote over things he often said just in passing: The Philosophy of Ted Morrison -- How To Integrate His Wisdom In Your Daily Life "Alexia," Ted mumbles in his earbud mic, "Why the hell did you let me come here?" The red-haired man says, writing down his signature halfhazardly in the book, before handling it over. "Because, it would look strange if their idol /didn't/ come to his own book unveil." The AI answers, softly as she ever does. "But it's a damn farce! I--" "Incoming, Ted. Divine Crusaders ship attacking the city. Should I sound the retreat?" As much he hated it, being the center of a 'philosophy' DID had it's advantage. There was that blonde hottie that looked pretty intrigued earlier, after all... but, it also have it's disadvantages like /standing and fighting/ to defend his own. With little explanation, Ted jumps out of his seat and starts dashing off. "YOU GUYS START GETTING OUT THERE! I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO DO!" Ten minutes later, the Rampage rolls out of the Leopard-class transport, tracking up missiles. Inside, Morrison is secretly glad that he managed to get out of THAT one unhindered. Now, he just hope those people wont do something stupid like attacking those Balmarians with civilian ships. Ted Morrison transmits, "Thanks freakin' LORD." Ted Morrison transmits, "I'M OUT OF THERE ALIVE." Duo Maxwell transmits, "I was gonna say somethin' dramatic like that after I got free, but Juku cut me off." Cipher transmits, "Welcome back." Ted Morrison transmits, "Hey, kid." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Good to hear your voice on a friendly channel ... did the Balmarians snag you?" Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "They've bagged too freakin' many to keep track .." Solis Vivent transmits, "We've got what appears to be Divine Crusaders causing trouble in Alaska. I'm responding." The ground slowly splits open. A red bulge appears, trying to seep through the ground. "More power! MORE POWER!" The ground finally explodes open as a massive hot air balloon rises out of it. The Boss Borot is strapped to the bottom of it, holding onto a chain with one hand and a giant Hairdryer in the other. The Boss Borot yanks on the chain, burning the air hotter into the hot air balloon and pulling the Boss Borot in the air. "HEY!" Boss shouts into an old CB radio mic, making it carry into the air. "HEY YOU! I don't know who you are. Stop attacking that city or I'm going to pop you in the mouth!" The Boss Borot shakes its fist in turn, making the hair dryer blow it every which way. It starts flailing and the cockpit tilts Star Trek style. It spins in place, until Boss sets the giant hair dryer to high, sending it ass first at the Zeltrandi ship. The massacre continues, but not unopposed. Even as Guarlions move to defend the capital ship, shots rain in from brave men and women willing to stand and fight. However, defence grids and defenders come into play, some taking shots for the large ship, or sometimes shots landing, but the thick armor of the massive ship simply prevents them from being effective. However Max's attack finds a weak spot in the armor, exposed by his accurate shot. Missiles fly everywhere, trying to make him pay for it, as well as trying to shoot Bernie down for his attack... More units were entering the fight, Ted's attack bounces off some of the thicker armor, but the missile itself makes him pay for the shot. The large ship itself turns to a more defensive position, as it starts to open fire on the defenders. Missiles, lasers, and lasers that fire missile lasers are released everywhere. And maybe one of them will even hit! Erika frowns at the response she gets on the radio... no confirmation that any ships are in the area onducting an operation. More importantly, she has authorization to shoot down the unknown. Hopefully, no one else tryes to shooty her while she does so. That ship IS after all transmitting their IFF. "Someone trying to throw the blame for this at us... figures. Could be the Balmarians... hell, could even be the EFA themselves. They've shown in the past they aren't afraid to commit atrocities on themselves to gain public support!" Either way, time to sink a battleship. The RF Gouf takes off after Bernie's Zaku into the city, skillfully making her way through the ruined streets and up over buildings. A Guarlion soars overhead and her Heat Rod snaps out, impaling it through the shoulder. the cable goes taunt and suddenly Erika is airborne, dangling behind the Guarlion. Her free hand snaps up and bullets rattle off from her five fingered machine gun. Ted Morrison transmits, "Look, the space nazis or something are attacking this Monument town. I'm out there." Ted Morrison transmits, "But this make too much sense." Takehiko Nagayama belches. "You're right. Space nazis don't usually make any sense at all." Ted Morrison transmits, "No, I mean, why the hell attack a Zentradi town all of a sudden?" Ted Morrison transmits, "I have to get at the bottom of this." Takehiko Nagayama transmits, "Don't ask me. I'm not paid to think." Ted Morrison transmits, "HEY DIVINE CRUSADERS." Ted Morrison transmits, "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS ATTACKING A ZENTRADI TOWN?" Norris Packard transmits, "Yes, Mr Morrison?" Echidna Iisaki transmits, "We are not." Norris Packard sounds suprised. " Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "... cripes, they're doin-- wait a sec, why'd the Argama change course all of a sudden?" Cipher transmits, "The Argama?" The pod smashes down, with almost horrific precision, interposing itself between the 'zentraedi' ship and the colony behind. Its walls explode open, like a horrid lotus flowering. The HXG strides forth, weapons gleaming, the battlefield suddenly inundated by the growl of the engine's machine song. "ENEMY! I AM SOLIS VIVENT! I AM HOSTIS XENO GENERIS!" The Gatling Repulsor rises, taking aim at the battleship, "If you wish to strike at the people of this world. You need strike through me! Is this how far you have fallen? Once servants of the Divine Cru..." Castilla blinks, reviewing the sensorium feed... "...SOLIS! Aim at sector three one eight! I have a theory I need to confirm!" "JUNE! Enter the firing solution!" June nods, "YES, MY REX!" The Repulsor sings, firing massive bolts of energy at the 'zentraedi' attack cruiser which is bizarrely spewing gaurlions. Norris Packard transmits, "What?! We are currently preparing for combat vs the balmarians why would we waste material like that." Duo Maxwell transmits, "I-" Duo Maxwell transmits, ".........." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Yeah, Bright talked me into switching over .." Duo Maxwell transmits, "..........I can't believe that worked." Cipher transmits, "Heh. I see." Kazuma Ardygun can be heard running. Cipher transmits, "Good luck, Kazuma." Duo Maxwell transmits, "I /refuse/ to believe that worked." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Thanks!" Cipher transmits, "Stay safe. We don't want you being captured, too." Kazuma Ardygun snorts, "They'll have to try more than twice as hard when I've got Mihiro to defend too!" Cipher transmits, "And a home." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "That too, yeah." Cipher transmits, "Fight well, kid. Come home in one piece." Barely able to duck out of the way of the missile and pops a quick burst at the missile port. "hmm...these guys are playing serious." He says as he turns up the rocket boosters to try and land on the ship. He's still firing that damned gun pod though.... Nenai Illan is making use of building to get better leaps in and she's heading for the ruined ship in the middle of town, she bounds up even as turrets come online to try and defend the city. The bird like mecha now reaches the top, targeting data in Zentradi scrolls across the large screen, before she locks on, and opens fire with the machine's impact cannons. "If it's Zeon! I'll start ripping their colonies apart!" "Bloody hell!" Morrison shout out, the Rampage being hit directly by missiles, the Rampage's own anti-missile systems not quick enough to take down the incomings. Being stuck fighting in the street against a giant ship is also /not/ optimal. He should've have went into his Panther. "Alexia, start scanning the shit out of that ship," Ted snarls out, going for the radio, "I've got to get some explanations." Two seconds later, Azgad's asshattery claims the life of another set of headphones, as Morrison violently rip them off his head and into the furnace of the Fusion Engine. "Freaking static! Well, that pretty much /prove/ it's NOT Divine Crusaders, it dosen't make sense. Alexia, try to break through the scrambling. I've got some wrecking to do." And by wrecking, Morrison means aiming vaguely upward as he walks through the city's streets, opening fire with a stream of pulse lasers -- and avoiding to squish people along the way, too. Meeeeessileeeees everywhere! Bernie's world is suddenly filled with exhaust contrails and warheads. He feels a clench somewhere in his guts and leans hard into the throttle of his Zaku. The Kai unit dances franticly in the air, wheeling around, over, and under a hellacious hail of missiles, flinging lead into larger clusters to clear the air. Finally he finds two seconds to rub together that are not filled with paniced, evasive maneuvers. Panting, sweat already beading upon his brow, Bernie only faintly hears the accusation. He opens a channel to reply only to recieve the piercing snarl of static stabbing into his eardrums. With a pained cry, he tries to recoil from his own helmet... only to succeed in thrashing about a bit. "Damnit..." he growls, quickly firing off a unit-to-unit transmission to his lone partner in purple. "Be careful, transmissions are jammed, watch out for crossfire." he warns befor setting the ship in his sights once more, the hefty machine gun leveling upon the captured Zent ship just as soon as he can snap another magazine into place. The gun rattles again, a single, red eye glaring down the sights as bullets pour out into the air. The defenders have managed to turn the giant ship from liberating the defenseless to liberating the shit out of you. The Giant hairdryer hardly even gets it's attention, and sorry Boss, but there is NO MOUTH TO SLAP! OH DOUBLE SNAP! However, for Boss's attack, gets a missile fired towards the Hairdryer...which gets stuck in it. You might not want to fire it...or maybe you do. Erika comes in, making it clear that she is in NO ZAKU BOY! The barrel rains down fire, shots bouncing off the armor, but not all of them do, and that is what makes all of the difference. She gets more missiles fired at her, but she is simply too fast for them. Solis is not so lucky as a stray missile slams into the HXG, and causing him to lose his firing solution. The shot strays and rains against heavy armor.. Max comes in close, but this time someone on the controls gets a good beat on him, firing two missiles. One exploding against his shots and causing them to stray, the second aiming to swat the annoying fly down. Nenai's impact cannons only meet missile as one flies to try and pick her off...safely trying to send her flying away from the ship. Ted fires lasers and more lasers from the ground...the ship turns to move, but it still manages to reap the side of the large ship, melting through armor and important bits. Bernie comes in right behind Ted, his machine gun laying waste to launching Guarlions and firing more holes in the armor that Ted cracked open. The Giant ship itself is...well...exactly the way it should look. Nothing in it on initial scaners seperates it from any other Zentradi ship. This may speak volumes for the Aerogaters skill in replication of mater. Or it actually might be correct in that they were DC alligned. It could also be a rogue faction of the DC. Whatever the case, the person inside it cuts off communications on the greater scale. Missiles and lasers attract targets at random. Maybe you were all chosen at random. However, Ted gets special treatment, his attack actually caused damage. Erika, likewise is focused upon but Bernie is ignored except by the lasers shooting missiles shooting laser missiles. The Valkyrie takes a direct hit from a couple of missiles. Max regains control and chuckles. "Ouch, that actually hurt." He then causes the valkyrie to lift the gun pod and aims at another of the missile ports. "Wonder how many missiles this thing has. Maybe I can set off a chain reaction." and his Gunpod fires a much longer burst.... Castilla snarls, "The blast went awry!" June frowns, hanging her head sheepishly, "What were you trying to figure out?" "Well I wanted to..." Solis frowns, "We'll be able to determine if your theory is correct if we penetrate the outer shell, correct?" "Well yes but..." June grins brightly, "FUSION CUTTER ENGAGING!" The hydrogen cages lock, forcing the atoms together in a horrific demonstration of the skill of the machine cult. A miniature sun is created within the fusion cutter's firing system. The Hostis continues moving, interposing itself between the evacuating civilian populace and the 'zentraedi' ship. "/We should be destroying the aliens./" No...we have to protect them. "/This is not what I was made for./" This is precisely what we were made for. Solis shakes his head, glaring up at the looming ship as the beam of pure molecular heat sears out... "It's so quiet," Solis mutters. KILL!!! Castilla nods, "Exterior vox network is being jammed!" "...this isn't right...but it /is/ right to BLAST THAT THING OUT OF THE SKY! Regardless of who it belongs to!" It helps that Erika is currently hitching a ride on some poor Guarlion she happened to skewer. Those things are pretty fast after all. the first missile can't keep up with it's, and thus her speed and sails off into the skyline. the second though is lined up for a direct hit upon the unwelcome hitchhiker. So Erika stops hitchhiking. The heat rod disengages from the Guarlion and the verniers flare, causing the Gouf to drop right out from under the missile's trajectory. It tries to turn after her but overshoots and a quick burst from her machine gun detonates it in midair. "I hear ya Bernie," Erika replies, her machine slamming to the earth... maybe if she can get a close look at the ship, she can determine who it is behind the controls. That means getting aboard it. good thing she has grappling hoots! One again the heat rod snaps out, launching like a spear towards the battleship in an attempt to skewer it's hull and pull herself up. kinda like Ahab harpooning the great white whale, only her spear is made out of lasers. The pod smashes down, with almost horrific precision, interposing itself between the 'zentraedi' ship and the colony behind. Its walls explode open, like a horrid lotus flowering. The HXG strides forth, weapons gleaming, the battlefield suddenly inundated by the growl of the engine's machine song. "ENEMY! I AM SOLIS VIVENT! I AM HOSTIS XENO GENERIS!" The Gatling Repulsor rises, taking aim at the battleship, "If you wish to strike at the people of this world. You need strike through me! Is this how far you have fallen? Once servants of the Divine Cru..." Castilla blinks, reviewing the sensorium feed... "...SOLIS! Aim at sector three one eight! I have a theory I need to confirm!" "JUNE! Enter the firing solution!" June nods, "YES, MY REX!" The Repulsor sings, firing massive bolts of energy at the 'zentraedi' attack cruiser which is bizarrely spewing gaurlions. The laser strikes rifle over the Hostis' frame, leaving gleaming cuts in the armor...that are matched on Solis' body, but he is inured to pain, at least at this level. "Boss! There appears to be a missile in our hairdryer!" Boss rubs his chin. "Is that factory standard?" Mucha and Nuke scratch their heads then huddle over the 'Giant Hair Dryer 2000' manual. Meanwhile. The Boss Borot struggles to get its hotair balloon under control, flailing its arms until it is in general stasis once more. The fact is, while everyone is trying to guess whether or not the ship is DC controlled, Boss just doesn't give a crap. It's shooting people. Boss' job is to stop big things from shooting civilians. So the answer is simple! The 'Giant Random Lasers' light flashes. "Boss! The giant random lasers light is flashing!" Boss slams the 'counter-laser laser' and a massive battery of store bought laser pointers shoots back out, disrupting the laser beams. "Hah! Now! Stop shooting or I'm going to come in there!" The Boss begins to swim violently for a moment before it turns the hair dryer onto 'hot'. The missile fires, shooting the Boss Borot's face up against the bridge window, smothering it against the glass while the three pilots scream like little girls inside. Castilla snarls, "The blast went awry!" June frowns, hanging her head sheepishly, "What were you trying to figure out?" "Well I wanted to..." Solis frowns, "We'll be able to determine if your theory is correct if we penetrate the outer shell, correct?" "Well yes but..." June grins brightly, "FUSION CUTTER ENGAGING!" The hydrogen cages lock, forcing the atoms together in a horrific demonstration of the skill of the machine cult. A miniature sun is created within the fusion cutter's firing system. The Hostis continues moving, interposing itself between the evacuating civilian populace and the 'zentraedi' ship. "/We should be destroying the aliens./" No...we have to protect them. "/This is not what I was made for./" This is precisely what we were made for. Solis shakes his head, glaring up at the looming ship as the beam of pure molecular heat sears out... "Its so quiet," Solis mutters. KILL!!! '' Castilla nods, "Exterior vox network is being jammed!" "...this isn't right...but it /is/ right to BLAST THAT THING OUT OF THE SKY! Regardless of who it belongs to The hail of firepower from the ship rains down on Ted Morrison's rampage. The Leader bites his lips, 'quickly' turning around the corner of a building, taking cover from the hail of focused fire. It wont hold for long and he hopes to god that the building was abandoned. Then again, on closer inspection, that looks like an abandoned building. "Furthermore, why the hell a Divine Crusader use a Zentradi ship? I though they hated aliens, overall. No. This aint those Space Russians--" "Space Nazis." Alexia chirps in helpfully. "--Those /Space Nazis/ that's doing this. That had to be damn Bolongians!" "Balmarians." The AI cues in, patiently. "Whatever! They all sound like a sandwich to me!" Morrison, moving the Rampage out of cover, tracks it's guns upward. The AC-10 Autocannon spins, reading to open fire as the pilot reach into his compartment in the cockpit, taking out a radio. "YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO! I WONT ACCEPT YOUR TYRANNY OF BOLOGIAN AND BALMARIAN MEAT IN MY SANDWICH!" Morrison shouts, opening fire with a large screen of scatter shots with his ammunition, taking out bugs and... well, lots of small things in the sky. Meanwhile, the AI Alexandria still attempts to break through the large-scale radio scrambling in the area. She might not get access to the Balmarian electronics, but... well, it's worth a try. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" prattles Bernie franticly, the Zak' Kai Deuce lofting up on a hovering thrust before quickly boosting backwards, verniers along it's torso, legs, and even it's crotch blazing to life in order to pick up a hastey retreat. Missles with lasers and lasers with missiles slam down all around him, crashing into the streets and buildings, but never seeming to lay a finger on the grunt green Zak' machine. The shocks of the blast rattle Bernie in his cage, but a hard left at a intersection puts him out of line of sight if only for a moment. Bernie might have been content to pick shots from here, try and whittle down the battle ship and wait for the true colors to show. This plan changes the moment he sees the familier, blue figure of the RF Gouf Heat wire aboard the ship. To leave her there at the mercy of the weapon turrets...? Primary thrusters roar to life once more, the trio of boostyer nozzles belching a jet of blue flame that launched the Zaku II Kai into the air, it's gun stowed, Heat Hawk brought to hand. The blade gleaming brightly with magnificent heat while Bernard tried to find a place to put his feet, and axe down on the stolen, Zentradi hull. Nenai Illan intercept some missiles but isn't touched, she leaps up. She evades the incomming attack and she's bouncing awya laning on another part of the ship. She pauses for a moment as she sees it clearly reads as a Zentradi ship and it's running a DC IFF. She doesn't seem too happy, this time she opens up with the large laser on theback, it's not going to do much. She knows they got to storm the damn ship and take it from within most likely. "KYAR YAR!!!!" Basical which means DIE DIE DIE! Max suddenly found himself flanked by a pair of Guarlions, they didn't like his face, and attempted to express their opinions with OVERWHELMING FORCE. However, Max kicked them in the face with his ENERGY LEGS and sped off to fire more at the boss. Damage started to pile up, as Ted's first shot managed to break some of that impenitrable outer armor. Erika gets on board, her heat rod ripping through armor, and due to her closeness missiles go flying wildly around her, unable to get a lock. Solis and Boss come next, Solis leading the charge and using the fusion cutter to cut away chunks of the hull with it. He is exceedingly efficent at this, dispite his DOUBLE POSING shennanigans. However, it is...just a normal Zetradi ship. If there is Balmarian tech here, it may not be that apparent. However, Boss's attempt to counter the counter attack proves successful, as he fires himself at the large ship, delivering punches to the very thick hull. However, this might cause a loonytoon effect as he hits a particularly THICK part of the hull. Ted launches another assault, scatter shits rain down, but they catch missiles aimed to suppress his fire. This leaves massive explosions in the air, but nothing more then that. Bernies heat hawk found another hole punched in by someone, allowing to rip it even more open. Nenai's attacks hit another missile, explosions ripping through the area...it can not be helped, given the place the ship had decided to make it's attack. The transmission itself is not impossible to overcome. Maybe if you could find the source of the transmission...or it's radio tower part. It's a large ship though, and might have several relays. However, Ted's AI can find them, all he has to do is get his friends to help. Weapons focus on three targets, Boss as he lands finds himself surrounded by turrets, guarlions, and even lions all of which aim weapons at him. They fire. Max too, is focused fired upon, and Solis on the ship itself can not help but get caught in the rampage as well. The blasts from the 'zentraedi' ship launch out, blasting into the Hostis... The surface armor burns, even as the beams are deflected like water pressing against water... Solis cringes within, as harsh burns tear across his flesh... Solis snarls even as the Hostis continues moving forward... The magma chatterblade begins to cycle, a strange piece of archaeotech, or perhaps something darker...cycling into action... "Castilla!" Solis speaks in the clipped prose of machine cant, "Those other machines designated with DC IFFs, laser comm line open with them. I want to find out what the hell is going on... This ship isn't talking...not a peep, not a pronouncement, nothing. Its abnormal." Castilla nods, "Yes, my Rex!" One of the side surface armament launches out a pure laser beam to begin line to line communication with the DC, although its possible they might try to dodge it (it is a very visible laser beam tracking them after all). If one of them doesn't, the tightline is Castilla's soft voice speaking: This is Hostis Xeno Generis. If this ship is not aligned with you, disable your IFF signatures and we will not fire upon you. The Hostis does do its best to stay between the civilians and the ship...as the magma chatterblade launches out, aiming at the anti-grav flight systems...or at least where they should be on a zentraedi ship. He's disembowled enough of them... The cable retracts, easily yanking the light weight mobile suit off the ground and propelling it onto the hull of the Zentradi Ship. no sooner than Erika's feet hit the ground though than LASERS suddenly come to try and evict her. Reacting quickly, Erika dives forward onto her belly, so close to the hull that the lasers arc over her head, rather than foolishly perforating the ship's own hull with laser fire. "Alright, I'm aboard... now to crack this shell and see just what kind of nuts are inside." Rising up into a kneeling position, Erika pulls out her beam sword and ignites it, then points it tip down as she pushes it against the hull of the ship, trying to slowly burn through all that armor and plating so she can see what kind of crew are inside the massive ship pulling it's levers. Deftly dodges the incoming missiles....all of them, before switching to gerwalk mode. "all right. Let's see if this thing can stay up with no engines." he says as he starts flipping switches to most of his missiles. Then when he has a long beep sound from his targeting computer, he pulls the trigger, letting loose with an insane number of missiles. "Boss! For some reason, our really weak punches can't break through their incredibly thick hull!" "WHAT?!" Boss rubs at his chin. "These guys are trickier than I thought-" Alarms go off all over the cockpit as the Guarlions and Calions and Golions and Falions press in. The cockpit tilts Star Trek style and the three stumble in opposite directions. "Quick! Deploy stealth mode!" Mucha slams a button marked 'Stealth Mode'. The Boss Borot pulls out a sign marked 'I Am On Your Side' with one hand, and a pair of Groucho Marx glasses with the other. This seems to only work for a moment. A long enough moment for the Boss Borot to go >:D and PUMMEL a group of Guarlions from behind. The Boss Borot puts its hands on its hips, floating parallel to the ground in a grand laugh. "Looks like they recognize us as the biggest threat. TIME TO SHOW THEM WHO'S DA BOSS!" The Boss Borot starts rotating one fist, with the other hand, "SUPER DELUXE MINT FLAVORED UPSIDE DOWN FALCON BIG BANG UNIVERSE CRUSHER PAWWWWWWWWWWWWNCH!" The Boss Borot flails slowly but steadily through the air, pinwheeling its arm at the big ship. "Ted." "What?" Morrison lets out, faintly stressed at the fact that /fighter pods/ are peppering at his ride, despite his best efforts to take some cover -- meaningless in the end against such quick target. "I have located the source of the radio scrambling. It is on your HUD." "That's a whole damn /ship/, woman. Where's the radio tower?" "Also highlighted in your HUD." Ted pauses, pettering a few key touches on his keyboard in the cockpit, looking at the HUD in question. Radio Tower, that sounds to be pretty alright. Alexandria managed to break through at least enough to be able to talk in the wide area. "ALRIGHT PEOPLE!" Morrison booms into the radio of those present as he moves the Rampage from cover to cover, firing upward to gain himself some time with sheer, complete autocannony goodness. Not cluster shots this time -- much more concentrated blasts of lead and steel. "We're going to need to take out the radio tower so we can get some reinforcements, here! Transmiting coordinates now! DESTROY THAT SHIT!" Bernie did not have the good sense to lay flat against the ship, and so he pays for it! Lasers needle at the exterior of the Zaku Kai, carving hot lines along it's armor. He is halted only long enough to listen to the various chatter, first from the laser guided, and then Ted Morrison. Both good ideas... A few buttons are punched in quick succession, the Zaku's friend or foe frequency going dark even as he swings the machine gun around towards the reported comm tower. Nenai Illan realises solis is here, that just pauses her for a second, the nut bar boy with the insane super robot was near a Zentradi city. She's thinking this thing is getting worse. Then comes a male of all thing suggesting something senisbale. "Not bad micronian not bad at all!" She then opens up firing a large number of shots, she knows damn well where the radio sytems. She also sends Ted the location of the backup systems at least if this is the model she thinks it is. There were always slight tweaks to the design over the years. Solis jumps into for forefront. The HXG drives it's weapons into the hearts of it's enemies, tearing through the Balmarian ship, he manages to catch one of the Radio towers, the static in the area crackles for a moment, but there are more towers. Erika tries to open up the ship, but one must remember...this ship is made to house giant green aliens, it's larger than some colonies, and when she opens up...she finds a empty area. Like hell the DC would use anything but drones here anyway. Max lists lazily to the right, while avoiding more pain, and fires enough missiles to put a Touhou boss to shame. Boss rips through all of the lions. All of them, but when he goes to punch the side of the ship, a missile comes out of nowhere to punch his punch. The missile explodes in pure awsome, but unfortinately the ship remains undamanged. Ted's attack goes wild, a lucky hit from a missile manages to drive the shot away...Nenai charges in to try and take the tower out, but another missile comes. SO MANY MISSILES! ALL OF THE MISSILES one might say, but this would keep her from taking down the tower. However, one man with a plan comes. ONE man, with a goal and a machine gun. Suddenly Bernie becomes the goddamn hero, as the radio tower finally goes down, crackling...and communications is restored to all. Except to Bernie, because the counter attack hit his radio. NO LOVE FOR YOU WISEMAN! NO LOVE! This continues as Bernie, now attracting the attention of the ship as it slowly turns to face it. YOU GET A DRINK FROM THE FIRE HOSE! All of the cannons fire. Solis gets another beam cannon, while everyone else gets their share of missiles and lasers. And laser colored missiles. Ted Morrison transmits, "--gonna turn them in freakin' bologne--" Ted Morrison transmits, "--Oh, hey. We're back." Hit by quite a few near misses, Max tilts his head. "struck a nerve did I?" He says to himself before peering at some of the missile ports. "Still going to try to set off a chain reaction in this ship. Hope nenai makes it out." He says just as he changes to Soldier mode and opens fire upon one of the missile ports....again. Ted Morrison transmits, "OKAY. I hate jamming. Now that's DONE with." Castilla Shale transmits, "Its not a DC ship. The DC unit indicated it wasn't aligned with them! Ted Morrison transmits, "I know that, this is a Bolognian plot!" Ted Morrison transmits, "I mean, Balmarian." Boss transmits, "Bologna is attacking?!" Boss transmits, "MUCHA! DESTROY THE SANDWICHES!" Boss Kaboom. Ted Morrison transmits, "A plot that's going to /explode/." The blast strikes into the Hostis, sending off massive segments of burning armor... "We've lost power flow on level 3! 5! 8!!!" Solis drifts back into the manifold as he feels his body burning... Solis' skin crackles, and burns, but the normal defiance is there. "Must defend! Must protect! I AM THE BULWARK!!!" The machine systems reactivate, and the smoldering armor of the Hostis remains firm, even as it stumbles forward... "I am Hostis Xeno Ge...No. I am Solis Vivent. I am Hostis Mali Generis. I am the enemy of evil. Whatever you are, who ever you serve, your ways are not my ways! Your thoughts not our thoughts! I am the blazing wind! I AM THE SOUL OF DESTRUCTION! HARKEN TO MY WAR SONG AND DESPAIR!" The Hostis sets its stance wide, its missile banks, its fusion cutter, its repulsor, its MEG, all of its myriad and wonderous armaments.. "YOU CANNOT PREVAIL! I WILL NOT PERMIT IT! THESE /PEOPLE/ ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION!!!" June shouts, "Primary armament nearly charged!!" "MY PROTECTION! YOU WANT THEM! YOU GO THROUGH ME!!!" "Damn... must have opened up one of the empty sectors... bloody Zentradi ships being so big and so empty." Erika laments, pulling her beam sword free from the ship. missile warnings go off in her cockpit right about then and she looks up to see a full flight coming right at her, "--This close to the ship?!" He grabs her beam rifle and levies it at the incoming missiles. several shits ring out, blasting away as many as she can with misses causing incidental hits on the hull of the massive ship, but their are just too many to shoot down. Her viewscreens are filled with fire as she is thrown back. The next second she realizes the ship is no longer beneath her feet. in fact, nothing is except thin air. In a panic, she yells out, "SHIT!" and snaps up her arm to fire a heat rod into the vessel's hull, turning what may have been a very ugly splat into an impromtu Tarzan Swing. She glances down as one is wanton to do when they almost fall to their death-- Just in time to see Bernie eat a cannondade of weapon's fire. "BERNIE!" Erika screams out, reaching out to the obscuring cloud of dust. Anger quickly flashes in her mind as she hits the verniers, propelling her machine forward in it's Tarzan Swing until she slams her feet into the aft section of the ship, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The beam sword plunges into the engineering section, carving through armor to open up the delicate internals underneath. Then she fires every god damn weapon she has into the breech. The missiles finaly find him, but it is a exchange of fire that he gladly accepts. The impacts rock and jerk him in his pilot's harness, his body bouncing in the restraints, head whipping at the end of his neck. He shakes it off however, aided by knowing that he achieved his goal. Smoke still drifts from the barrel of his 90mm machinegun when he turns his attention back to the ship and finds himself staring down a gun. No, scratch that. All of the guns. This is not how it is supposed to end... but for all appearances, it will be. The Zaku cannot escape the blast, swallowed up in the blaze of fire, green metal swelling, buckling, and boiling before the entire machine erupts in a hellacious explosion. Nothing is left of the machine, broken down into detritus and debris that even the most engineering of scavangers would be hard pressed to find any use for beyond that of a paper weight. Even less seems to remain of the pilot. No scraps of cloth, now charred bones, not even hamburger. More laser comes down the Rampage's way. Ted is getting pumped up, adrenaline kicking in as his old survival instincts kick in. That is, to run away. He can't, unfortunately, /run/ too far/, he probably wouldn't even make it out of the quarter before they caught him, plus the Rampage is still in incredibly good position of power here. Not to mention, radio contact has just been re-established, but Ted can't help but feel that's... just part of the plan for this alien. "Alexandria!" Morrison shout as he comes out of cover from a particularly useless multi-staged parking slot, tracking his guns upward. Ship's still here, even if the radio tower is gone. "Full power to lasers! Activate targeting systems! Ignite missile!" "Engaged." "THEN LET'S FIRE!" The Rampage is not an Atlas. It's not an unstoppable monster of just steel. It's also not a nimble Light Mech. It cannot dodge easily. However, it's name is very evocative of what it can do. As the Rampage nests down, every single weapons opens and unloads, firing off a hail of firepower. Lasers, dosens of missile launches all launching at once, autocannon shells flying out to meet upward at the ships, a flamer destroying everything close-by that dares to attack. And to top it off... a machine gun overheats, so fast it fires. MISSILES! The Boss Borot looks around it wildly. "What are we going to do, Boss?!" Mucha shouts as he is throwing a german grenade into an ice chest of bologna sandwiches. It explodes into a few pieces and a splatter of mustard, bread, and bologna. "Hold on! GET OUT MY DRAMATIC GLASS PANEL!" Nuke comes over with a glass panel marked 'Super Awesome Weapon' and puts it over one of the buttons on the control panel. Boss climbs on a step ladder, putting his finger in the air. "I! WILL!" Boss leaps off the step ladder and elbow drops through the safety glass, crushing the button underneath with the end of his elbow. "SURVIVE!" The Boss Borot deploys a Disco Ball from its stomach. The laser pointers from its eyes suddenly shine into it and Gloria Gaynor starts playing from the Boss Borot. The lights flash everywhere, ripping through everything threatening the Boss Borot. Missiles ripple first then simply combust. When everything is cleared, the Hot Air Balloon is still alive. Then, Boss pulls out a single tape, pulling the Gloria Gaynor out. "We have to save lives, boys." Mucha looks up from clubbing a bologna sandwich with a hammer. "No Boss! It's too soon!" He flashes the tape. 'Chibodee's Mix Tape' gleams on the side. Boss shovels it into the 8-Track Player. Outside, the air THUMPS with resounding music as the Boss Borot deliberately pulls out safety pin and crams it into the hot air balloon. The Balloon explodes and the Boss Borot flies at the Zeltrandi ship. 'I LIKE BIG BUTTS I CANNOT LIE! YOU OTHER BROTHAHS CAN'T DENY!' The Boss Borot pinwheels its fist for a single hot-blooded American Uppercut. Nenai Illan has had enough at this pointk, she lands her machine and pops the hatch open, she gets out, and pulls her rifle out of the cockpit. She's clad in jacket, tank top, jeans and boots, where did she get them on that scale and how much it cost? But the point is she's opening up on the strange Zentradi ship and doesn't take her finger off the trigger. "I'll FIND WHO EVER IS DOING THIS!" As for Nenai she doesn't get a bit from the fire hose! Max is determined to set off a chain reaction. Azgad, however, is determined to at least destroy that one unit, focusing a anti ship missile in the units way. However, Solis takes advantage of it, rampaging through the alien ship, doing as much damage as he can, wherever he can. The ship starts to list...it is seriously starting to take heavy damage...and now it is showing. Erika tears through part of the ship, unloading as much as she can into the ship...explosions later, there is simply a giant crater in the ship, as it continutes to list...before Ted unleashes seven barrels of hell behind Erika, blasting an even larger whole, the ship is starting to crack, and Boss slams his hand into it... Pieces of the armor start to fly off, as the ship starts to try and raise up...is it trying to escape? Nenai squashes any hope of that... Her shot destroying the engines... And the ship starts to fall. Worst of all, it starts to break apart and fall...pieces of it going EVERYWHERE as it does this...but the largest piece flying towards the crashed ship in the city. Worse, the active engine would cause a massive explosion... '''YOU HAVE ONE ROUND TO DO AS MUCH DAMAGE AS POSSIBLE! ' BGM: http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/descend "Oh no you don't!" The Boss Borot slams into the ship, now without a hot air balloon. It flops back and forth as things explode around it, trying to avoid getting exploded and flailing about. The Boss Borot rolls up to a standing position on the chunk, looking around. "Hah! We blew it up! And we aren't even going to die!" Boss pulls out a sprite bottle before Nuke points downward. "B-boss! It's going to hit the city!" "But...we...we aren't dead." "Boss!" "FINE!" The Boss Borot digs into its waist and pulls out a huge length of chain. It whips the chain in an arc around the piece, snatching it in the other hand. It twists hands, wrapping up the chain in both and YANKING upward, like he was trying to stop a bull for the other machines.. This is clearly how gravity works. "Yes we......made it fall. FUCK!" he says as he opens up with absolutely EVERYTHING the valkyrie has. Max adds. "Time to smoke this turkey with some hot sauce". Witty max. With her damage done, Erika quickly pushes away from the carrier with the intent of leaping free of the ship as it retreats... only when she looks down, she realizzes the ship isn't rising as before. It's falling. "What...? Damnit! I don't have any weapons capable of--" Erika exclaims, before stopping... she doesn't have the weapons to DESTROY it, but she can weaken the structure enough to allow the others to do it for her! The cable retracts again as the Gouf gets hoisted up onto the falling chunk of ship. then she proceeds to run across it's hull, her beam sword slashing out again and again to slice away key structures and connections. The ship is utterly wrecked. The Rampage is not very much worse for wear after that barrage of firepower, the heatsinks working overdrive to prevent problems with overloading. Now, he just wont be able to do that again for a little while -- if at all. Ted however knows what happens to big ship that you blow massive holes into when in atmosphere: they tend to fall. That's what happening. Now he seriously thinks of getting the bloody hell out of there. "Alexia! We're getting out of h--" "MASTER MORRISON!" "What." It's not a lot of mechs, but a handfull of very light mechs, including mostly UrbanMechs and a few repurposed Zentradi/MEltrandi battlepods, wanders from the space port, unloading their meager armaments upward at the falling debris. A woman's voice burst through the radio. "Have no fear! Like you have said so easily during the war last year against the Zentradi's fleet: Life's aint over even if you've got litteraly crap falling from the sky!" Ted groans, shutting off his radio as he tracks up his aiming systems, unloading what he can. He can't run now, not in front of those people, if he want to keep some /semblant/ of a reputation... plus, it would be wrong to let this city to be destroyed anyhow. "Alexia?" Ted lets out as autocannon rounds flakes out to take as much damaging on the debris falling as possible. "Yes, Teddy?" "Did I seriously say that, then?" "You may have." "That was horrible." "I know." Archangel transmits, "How goes the fight?" Nenai Illan gets the hell back in her mech shen she realises what she's done. Damn the odds of hitting what she was shooting at were pretty low. How did she do that, clearly her ego puffs up at this. But there's srtill more damage to do, sure some of are gong for cover now, and some to the ship in the middle of the city others trying to leave. Some also join in the fire on the ship. Either way there's a lot of mass to burn off, she warms up the weapons again and brings up the Glaug's arms. She fires round after impact round, she's running the ammo bins dry at this rate, the laser on the back follows up with the barrage, hell she's even firing the auto canons and missiles at them. Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Which one?" Archangel transmits, "Either and or." "Its breaking apart!" Castilla shouts! "Energy reactions are off the scale!! It's a reflex engine block, if it is allowed to reach a position of massive critical.... It's going to..." Solis frowns, "Detonate the entire area..." "The Hostis should be able to engage its escape vectors and achieve a sa..." "Savior pods." "What?" The girls ask. "The savior pods. Get to the savior pods." Castilla blinks, "Solis, what...it..." "They're only aliens!" June shouts. "THATS AN ORDER!!" Solis roars, "Castilla, set the reactors to overcharge and get to the pods. I'm going to engage the refraction fields and create a controlled explosion.." Solis nods.. Castilla blinks as she stands, "Solis, I won't. I can't let...hrk!!" June catches Castilla before she tumbles forward looking at Solis for a long moment, its a long moment before she turns and keys in the necessary controls. Tears welling unseen beneath her atmosphere mask. "Y-yes, My R-rex.." Solis nods, "I love both of you. Tell Shiori I love her too when we rescue her..." June looks back at him, "I will...I will.." Biting back a sob, she drags Castilla's inert body towards the savior pods. The pods launch off of the Hostis, straight up and then at an abrupt 90 degree angle as they rush for a safe distance. Solis urges the Hostis forward...breaking into a full run at the main engine block segment of the zentraedi ship. It is there. They are there. Always. He hears the song canting silent in the soothing sea of code. The endless music...so calming at this, his last moments. The Hostis still protests, They're just Zentraedi. They aren't really people.. He hears the soft voice whispering.. Is a man but a gear? Is he but a cog in a machine? Solis feels his own words rising, turgid as the nanoseconds roll by like millennia. No..no he is not, Solis protests, letting the taste of heresy roil through his mind. The voice a soothing piecing calm amidst the chaos and destruction. An image of the expanse of space, as remembered by the Hostis floods over him, millions of spheres flung throughout the black canopy. Space. Beautiful. Wondrous. The soothing voice continues, This is the music of the spheres. This is the music of the celestial machine. Be the note. A man is not a cog. A man is not a machine. A man is a note, eternal, beautiful, a singular thing made to sound its tune in the grand symphony. Solis blinks, taking a moment to return to the 'real world.' The speakers resound... "DETONATION OF ZENTRAEDI SHIP: 1 MINUTE, 30 SECONDS. DETONATION PRIMARY REACTIVE CORE MODULE: 47 SECONDS..." He slips again back in the manifold, he may as well. He feels alone, despite the strange soothing words. To be the with Hostis... "I am here at last," he speaks quietly as the manifold wraps around him. "You should escape, Master." "There is no more time, Hostis. This is how it should be. I cannot leave you alone.." “/What does it mean to be a god, Hostis Xeno Generis/.” Solis blinks, the voice overwhelming him. The strange words that he thought flooded up from the depths of the Hostis' machine mind, now directed at it... Is it querying itself? Is it him? Is it the machine god? The answer flows through, harsh and strange.. The machine speaks to him again, his own voice whispering in the depths of the eternal manifold, "You must leave me alone. At last, thanks to you, master, I know the answer. I know what makes a god." The destructor laser on the Hostis' arm explodes as it releases its final attack, a beam of absolute uncreation...before its assembly explodes. DETONATION OF ZENTRAEDI SHIP: 1 MINUTE 20 SECONDS. DETONATION PRIMARY REACTIVE CORE MODULE: 20 SECONDS..." "What do you mean?!" Solis speaks in the depths of the manifold. "I am the machine, I am a sword, a destructive tool, but you made me into a protector, despite me screaming at every stage. You breathed into me. Your will brought me up. Made of my metal life, and of my endless corridors of logic engine and circuit song, granted to me name, destiny and will. I am eternally grateful." Solis blinks, "What..." His connections abruptly break, cutting him from the manifold even as the fusion overload sears through the secondary systems, the primary systems, fires raging everywhere... The Hostis's damaged arm twists, alight with a strange green lightning, forming a ragged claw... It reaches to its head and wrenches it free...throwing it aside even as its arm assemblies break and fall off from the harshness of the action. Solis screams, "NO! I can't let you! Not alone! I WON'T LET YOU DIE ALONE!" “/I love you, master. Remember me, Master. When the end finally comes. I shall be a ready ploughshare for you to tend your gardens./“ DETONATION OF PRIMARY REACTIVE CORE MODULE: IMMINENT! CONSIGN THYSELF!! The head, containing the pilot block is thrown away as the Hostis begins to disappear... Solis still feels it, feels the last moments, as the nanoseconds draw by..slow as a glacier. For the rest of the world, they see the Hostis charging at the descending ship, even as its own superstructure begins to glow a radiant, blinding green.. Across all radio comms, the words wrench across visual displays and HUDS. "I was a demon for I was afraid of the dark. I feared it. But I no longer fear. I fear not the emptiness of space. For I am a star. Behold as I cast back the darkness." The Hostis explodes, horrifically, the massive energy reaction boiling a crater into the nearby earth, and annihilating the remnants of the Zentraedi engine block system... The explosion is controlled, however, a swirling nimbus that rises up, even as the reflex engine is consumed within the conflagration. A giant seeming form, a massive dark figure, with horrific wings that resemble grinding blades is briefly seen, laughing gloriously, before at last it fades away, and leaves naught but the safety of the Zentraedi colony.. Solis watches the display through the cracked amniotic container as he stumbles towards one of the conventional windows of the head segment... He collapses to his knees, tears rolling down his face, and sings with a shaking voice an unfamiliar hymn. To a lost friend. Ted Morrison transmits, "What. Just happened." June Shelbech transmits, "The reflex core is falling... Solis...Solis engaged the reactors to de...to destroy it..." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Wait, what? Solis isn't committing suicide out there, is he?" June Shelbech transmits, her voice low and quiet, "...engaging the...the..." She breaks down into sobs. Garrod Ran transmits, "Damnit! That idiot!" Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "SOLIS!! YOU ARE UNDER STANDING ORDERS *NOT TO DIE*!" Archangel transmits, "...what..?" Archangel tsks. June Shelbech transmits, level, emotionless, "The Hostis Xeno Generis has...disappeared completely from my augurs." Over the Zentradi city Monument in the Western US, a massive ship explodes after massive parts of it's body falling over the city. Then, suddenly, a massive surge of energy surges outward. At it's apex, another surge of energy comes from below, impacting against the first, exploding at the same time. It causes a massive screen of destruction in the sky, but none of it actual hitting the ground below. Archangel transmits, "June-- are you, Castilla, and Solis alright?" June Shelbech transmits, "I had to render Castilla unconsious. Our Rex had to adjust the refractors to control the overload." Ted Morrison transmits, "... Poor kid." Archangel transmits, "..." June Shelbech transmits, "H-he g-gave me an order... I d-didn't have a..." Garrod Ran transmits, "I swear to god, I am going to /punch/ that heroic idiot if he's dead!" Archangel transmits, "June-- I am sorry." Otsdarva transmits, "What the /hell/ was that!?" June Shelbech transmits, "...we have to comply...he's the Rex...he told us he loved us...we had to comply..." Otsdarva transmits, "What-" Otsdarva transmits, "June. What happened?" June Shelbech transmits, "...I'm the weapon's officer, I obey my Rex's orders... I...oh god..." Otsdarva transmits, "June. Calm down. What happened?" Archangel transmits, "Ots.. I think.. Solis may be dead.." Ted Morrison transmits, "...The kid went up to the reactor of that ship, blew himself up to prevent it from wiping out the area." Otsdarva transmits, "I- What!?" Otsdarva transmits, "Goddamnit. I'm headed out." Otsdarva transmits, "Stasis, engage remote emergency boot up. That idiot- throwing his life away like that!" ENDING UNLOCKED: GOOD ENDING! The heros today have persevered...their hearts and their wills unshakable. Boss's chain wraps around several of the flying pieces, and throwing them into others. Erika's Gouf tears through several of these sections softening them up for the larger guns. Max unloads missiles, sections explode, evaperating away from the blows. Nenai lays out devistation obliterating an entire section by herself, as Ted following her lead obliterates a section himself as well. This leaves just one section left...the engine block decends... Solis' initial blast tears through it, removing the armor that may protect it long enough to explode, before the HXG dives in, sacrificing itself to save hundreds of thousands. However, the explosion leaves nothing left of the HXG. Not even particles. Otsdarva transmits, "June. Does Solis have a tightband- or /anything?/" Folka Albark transmits, "...How many lived in the city?" Ted Morrison transmits, "Start scanning the area." Ted Morrison transmits, "For survivors." Otsdarva transmits, "Damnit. I got it." Folka Albark both astounded and also in serious pain, "Who was responsible?" Otsdarva transmits, "Hitting Mach now. June, I need Solis' transponder information /NOW./ Personal communications devices, whatever, I don't care." June Shelbech transmits, "...the city housed several thousand, potentially a million...it...Castilla told him we could get away but he... O-our savior pod will be landing, the beacon is...the beacon is on..." Otsdarva transmits, "Whose beacon?" June Shelbech transmits, "...ours...for our pod." Otsdarva transmits, "...Tch..." June Shelbech transmits, "...Solis' transponder but...its not possible... He was within it when it... There can't be...there's no chance..." Otsdarva transmits, "Tell me. June, I'm approaching the battlefield." Otsdarva transmits, "Tell me before those monsters notice!" The Boss Borot lands in the middle of an open field, shielding itself. The Boss Borot then pats itself slowly up and down. Triumphantly, it puts its hands on its hips. "Ah-hah! We all have saved this city! Thanks to The Boss Borot!" Boss pulls out another 8-Track and jams it into the player as it marches off. Trumpets well up and Boss sings along to his theme song. "ITSA BOSS BOROTO! ITSA BOSS BOROTO! ITSA BOSS BOROTO! ITSA BOOOOOOOSSSSSS! BOROTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" June Shelbech provides the transponder. Erika has a problem. You see, she's still standing on the wreckage when everyone starts to unload upon it. Realizing this is a very back place to be, Erika resolves to get the fuck out of dodge before she ends up charbroiled. to this effect, she runs towards the edge of the wreckage and LEAPS as the vessel explodes, Action Hero Style, behind her. Unfortunately, this not being an action flick, this results in her getting hit by the shockwave which catapults her uncontrollably across half the city, right towards a parking garage. "Shiiiiit! This is gonna huuuuuuurt!" And hurt it does as the Gouf slams back first into the garage, slamming through four levels before finally coming to a rest. Erika groans adn stirs, pulling erself dazed from her seat to pop the hatch. "Damnit Bernie... you'd better be alive..." Tightbeam from Saiga Junki says, "(or whoever may get this probably June) ..This is Saiga Junki. Reideen.. just flashed me with something odd while I was scouting in Japan, just-- what happened?" /A few minutes ago/ "Good, then we're agreed, Europe needs to be-" A man is cut off in a barely lit room by an earthshattering explosion somewhere in the Western United States. "What-" he gasps, "What the /HELL/ was that!?" /A few seconds ago/ Otsdarva's hands slam into the Stasis' command terminal, the rage visible on his face- no, he /wouldn't/ just throw his life away! Damnit, boy! /Just now./ A shining, viridian star shoots across the sky, the sound barrier torn apart like tissues in a swift gale. It passes through the lingering wreckage of the falling ship- ignoring the civilians down below. Others can take care of those. Come on, kid, you can't be dead, yet! He glares at the information on his monitor. Where is his signal? /Where!?/ VICTORY! You get 200,000 EXP. 10,000 Zenny. You get Sydney Sleeper! You get The Bushwaka. Explosions happen. Lightning screen on the Rampage'S visuals goes into full power, Morrison covering his eyes. Then ANOTHER explosion blasts in, radio comes flooding that the creepy kid in the creepier mech just went and... blew himself up. "That... that poor freakin' bastard." Ted mutters, unaware that his radio is still on, shaking his head. "You know, I never knew the kid. Sounded like kind he had a stick stuck higher than a Draco. But damn, go to off and blow that thing up like that, taking it out with himself... Man, that's why I hate this world, kids shouldn't /have/ to do this crap." Meanwhile, the meager Erewhon Forces throws up their arms in success and celebration! Sure, a kid blew himself up, but hey they're all still alive, which is what counts. Not to mention the GREAT MORRISON said something amazing! It wasn't all that amazing. "ALRIGHT PEOPLE!" Ted shouts, a little annoyed. "Start scanning and scouring for survivors. There's got to be /some/ around in the debris." Ted Morrison transmits, "Damn, poor kid." Otsdarva transmits, "He can't be dead. Damnit-" Otsdarva transmits, "I don't want to have to tell his girlfriend!" Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: Solis Vivent seems to only have static, mostly due to a residual jamming field. Ted Morrison transmits, "Then start screaming and start searching." Ted Morrison transmits, "If, /if/ he's alive, he's somewhere around." Otsdarva transmits, "Already doing both, Great One." Otsdarva transmits, "COME ON KID. WHERE ARE YOU!?" Ted Morrison transmits, "Wh--" Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Who was the enemy force down there, anyway? Diviine Crusaders, or were the Balmarians involved?" Ted Morrison transmits, "It had DC IFF." Tightbeam from Saiga Junki says, "..you know.. if Reideen is right and by what I am feeling is right.. and if you /are/ alive.. damnit.. Reideen better be wrong and you better be alive for Shiori's sake. You hear me! Cause I hope that Reideen has like some, telepathic ability cause I mean it! You better be alright for Shiori's sake or I will never forgive you for breaking her heart!" Ted Morrison transmits, "This was not DC MO." Otsdarva transmits, "Damn aliens. Trying to get us to start suspecting each other." June Shelbech transmits, "The DC pilots on scene indicated they had no part in this." Ted Morrison transmits, "Yeah, this ain't the DC's doing. This is Balongian plot." Juku Reimaru transmits, "_Balamarian_." Ted Morrison transmits, "Okay, okay, Balmarian. Bal-mar-ian." Juku Reimaru transmits, "And if thats too hard, Aerogator." Ted Morrison transmits, "That's even harder!" Maximillian Jenius simply hovers there as he monitors the explosions. Solis Vivent coughs slightly, as he stumbles out of the smoldering head, leaning against it... His body blooded, wounded, his chest covered in burns and scour marks from the manifold... His vision hazy as he stares up... Its then that he begins to hear the transponders and radio comms, even as he slides down to sit by the Hostis' head. He pats the metal as his own hymn finishes resounding through it. The spirit is gone... He does stare upwards as he engages his radio again... Solis Vivent transmits, "...-vent...still interference in the area..." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Solis!" Otsdarva transmits, "Solis! Jesus Christ you're okay!" Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "...say again?" Ted Morrison transmits, "--Shit, kid!" Otsdarva transmits, "Hold on. I'm coming in for extraction." Solis Vivent transmits, "Ok is relative..." Solis Vivent transmits, "Its gone." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "'Alive' is good enough." Otsdarva transmits, "Look. You're alive. That's all that matters right now." Solis Vivent transmits, "The Hostis Xeno Generis has gone to the Omnissiah." Otsdarva transmits, "...Goddamn. And I thought I'd have to tell Shiori..." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "... Sorry to hear about the Hostis." Otsdarva transmits, "I see. Did it... Die well?" Solis Vivent transmits, "Of course." Ted Morrison transmits, "It saved our asses." Otsdarva transmits, "Then don't mourn it." Otsdarva transmits, "That'd be a waste of tears." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "I'm sure, as much as I didn't know the Hostis, that wouldn't have wanted to die any other way." June Shelbech transmits, "I...I..." Folka Albark transmits, "It is not the same for you, than it is for Solis." Otsdarva transmits, "I understand." Folka Albark transmits, "That machine was just as bit of important to him as your family is to you." Otsdarva transmits, "It must be like losing part of yourself." Ted Morrison transmits, "Suggestion." Ted Morrison transmits, "Let's get him somewhere then we start philosophing." Solis Vivent transmits, "...I don't have augurs and am in considerable pain... The city?" Folka Albark transmits, "Solis." Solis Vivent transmits, "Is the city safe?" Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "...what did you say Saiga, my radio was jammed...?" Nenai Illan is forced to flee, she realises with the chaos that is about to happen. Her machine won't surive that blast, she now stares, the machine she's driving away, the bird like mecha looks up stating at the massive explosion and she gapes. Did Soils just die to save the City that was mostly made up of Zentrandi and meltandi. Then the old machine looks for a momentas she picks up a bio sign, the alien machine heads towards Solis keeping it's gun arms lowered in a rest postion. "Solis!" Otsdarva releases a breath as the Stasis swoops down from its holding altitude, its Primal Armor vanishing into a mist of sizzling energy as it falls away. He lands not meters from the fallen head of the giant that saved a city. The cockpit opens, and the pilot drops out, rushing toward the fallen boy. "Come on," he says, extending a hand, "Solis. Let's go." Folka Albark transmits, "While the words may not mean much to you right now...but you are a better man now than when I first met you." Solis Vivent pulls himself to his feel as Otsdarva lands...but he looks over as Nenai steps closer and protectively backs up, placing his hands against the head segment. "I can't leave. Not without whats left... I'm not going to leave him to be picked over..." Castilla Shale transmits, "...my he...why am I in a pod?!" Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "To ensure you'd outlive the Hostis, may its spirit rest peacefully." Castilla Shale transmits, "The Hostis is gone?! Solis?!" Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "He's alive, already checked in." Ted reach into his cockpit-bound fridge, taking out a tall can of beer. He cracks it open, shaking his head and chugging it down. He tosses the remains down the chute to the chute. Outside, a little can of beer falls out of the backside of the Rampage. "You know, Alexia, it sounded like that mech had an AI of some sort, by what they were saying." Ted says, not swarming the kid's location and instead looking for other survivors, as well as his team. "Yes. It seemed that way." "Sorry you didn't get to meet one of your own." "That's alright. It's not like we knew it existed before it blew itself up to free us all." "...Yeah, well, whatever." Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Otsdarva's retrieving him." "Then," Otsdarva nods, the Stasis' hand lowers, "Get in. We'll salvage what's left." He turns to the Hostis' head, a slight frown touching his face, "It died well, Solis. It saved so many. Would it help at all if we erected a memorial? For the Hostis, I mean." Tightbeam from Saiga Junki says, "...you.. are still alive.. good. Hehe, Reideen, hehe, Reideen worried me that you may have been killed.." Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "The Hostis is gone." Tightbeam from Saiga Junki says, "Then.. maybe the sadness I felt.. hehe, haha. I-- I guess Reideen was sad for your machine then.." Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "Not a laughing matter, Saiga..." Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "Tell her...at the end..." Tightbeam to Saiga Junki: You say, "It died to protect." Solis Vivent stumbles over towards Otsdarva, his legs, bleeding and scarred giving out as he nears him... He does continue peering at Nenai's mechanism as it nears, "...we can't leave without it...a memorial can come later..." Tightbeam from Saiga Junki says, "I wish you would stop calling reideen a she, but-- I am sure Reideen heard you, if I am hearing it myself." Cybernetic limbs carefully hoist the boy's battered and bleeding form into the Stasis' waiting palm. Slowly, the blue machine lifts its arm upwards, feeding the two into the cockpit, "First thing's first. We need to get you fixed up. I'll send word to Ted to start collecting the HXG, alright?" "Your sisters- I'm not about to save you just to have you die on them in my cockpit." Otsdarva transmits, "Ted." Otsdarva transmits, "Have your men collect the remains of the HXG." Ted Morrison transmits, "You mean the atoms that's left?" Ted Morrison transmits, "There's... not much to pick up, man. I'm sorry." Otsdarva transmits, "There are bits and pieces laying around. It'd mean a lot to the kid- and he's not going to cooperate unless we do it." Ted Morrison transmits, "Yeah, alright." Nenai Illan Says "Giving you a lift, you can help work the senors while we look." The bird like machine kneels down and the hatc opems. It's no Marauder, it's an alien sitting in there where most of the mecha bits would be. Nenais actually has something akin to a seat fo a human up on the dash. WE'll find your sisters." Otsdarva transmits, "Meltran EFA pilot. I've collected the boy, he's bleeding pretty badly. We're having a party retrieve the fallen HXG components. Thank you for the concern." Ted cracks open another beer, chugging it down before adding on the radio to his folks, still cheering. "Alright, people, if you would kindly make yourselves usefull, we've got to gather the gibs and parts of that robot. Gather it all up over there. Paying our respect to somebody that had the guts to save our sorry asses is the least we can do." That's another one for the book. Reideen transmits, "How bad is his wounds? Do you need escort assistance to get him some place safe?" Otsdarva transmits, "I'll be heading toward the Trailer ship in the area. We should be alright." Otsdarva transmits, "Ted, we need a medical team ready." Solis Vivent is picked up by Otsdarva, aside from his complaints, there's not much fight left in Solis, at least not tonight. Its been traumatic. Nearly dying, losing a part of yourself, and possibly having a direct intervention from the very deity you worship.. He looks at Otsdarva, "Just make sure that....as much as we can... We owe it that...much..." Otsdarva transmits, "He's bleeiding. Profusely." Reideen transmits, "Alright. Let me know if you do need any assistance." Otsdarva transmits, "There're a couple still on the ground somewhere." Otsdarva transmits, "I'm sure the additional hands for the rescue op would be welcome." Sly Heckler transmits, "Hey guys, I'm hearing some weird rumors. Did Solis really blow himself up to impress that alien chick he had a crush on?" Otsdarva- and thus, the Stasis- nods, walking forward to lift the HXG's colossal head with a pair of straining arms. Its thrusters push upwards, toward the nearest Trailer vessel. He casts another glance at the now-lifeless skull- it has lost its menace, he muses. Is it at peace? Only the Omnissiah can say. Otsdarva transmits, "Not now, Sly." Otsdarva transmits, "June, Castilla, I've got your brother." Reideen transmits, "Understood. I'll be on my way then." Sly Heckler transmits, "Wait, I just got here. Did something actually /happen/?" Castilla Shale transmits, "Thank the maker... We'll attend to our own recovery. June is a little... June will need some time to herself." Otsdarva transmits, "The HXG self destructed to save a city. Solis is in bad shape." Kazuma Ardygun whistles softly, "So that's what happened ... a valiant sacrifice. I'm glad the crew survived, though." Castilla Shale transmits, "Solis set the reactors to overcharge...that he survived is a miracle..." Otsdarva transmits, "The head is intact. I'm bringing it back, too." Sly Heckler transmits, "I...don't even know what to say to that." Folka Albark transmits, "The city was apparently a Zentradi city." Sly Heckler transmits, "Huh. You've come a long way from the DC kid I tried to blow up. He'll pull though. Kid's got more electronics in him than my shuttle. He'll be okay." Ted Morrison transmits, "Yo." Folka Albark winces, "I wish I could help, but my injuries are still servere." Probably late then never, the massive bird form of Reideen sweeps into the air, before it speeds downward toward the sky, probably passing the Trailer vessel on its descent down. As it approaches land, the machine then transforms into its massive robotic form, with the humanoid eyes flicker some glint of glow in them. Junki stares out over the field before his eyes, along with the machine's eyes sadden. "..this.. should have never happened." He states softly before he lends over Reideen to assist with whatever clean up or gathering of parts they can. Nenai Illan pauses as she picks up what seems to be something of note, her machine heads over part up. She comes over a newly made ridge and starts down there's at least a half dozen, to dozen escape pods, all are open, seems some people left in a hurry. Also the pods look like the same style of the HGX. "....escape pods but it's got a crew of three!" Reideen glanced over to where Nenai was, though it was more of a down glance, thanks to just the massive size of Reideen versus most things out there. It was a curse sometimes being so tall. "Are they alright?" Category:Logs